December 15, 2008
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Interesting how the cats have split notification duties.
About 12:30 or 12:45 a.m. I'd been sleeping on the sofa when I was disturbed by a plaintive, actually rather worried-sounding "meow!"
Tried to ignore it, but it came again. Then again. Clearly, Boots wasn't going to go away.
Except in my sleep-fogged state I'd neglected to notice this was Zeus, not Boots. The way it usually works is for Boots to sit in front of my face, periodically uttering short meows, while Zeus sits next to the insufficiently filled food and water bowls in the kitchen. These cats are big on delegation of authority.
But this was Zeus sitting in front of me and meowing, and her whole demeanor - once I'd surfaced enough to pay attention - was one of concern. Didn't know cats could have furrowed brows, as a matter of fact.
Swung my legs over, plunked my feet on the floor, and stood, then grouchily walked a few steps and turned to the left toward the kitchen.
Where the back door - which faces due north - was standing wide open, allowing cold air and leaves to enter the house unimpeded. Apparently I hadn't pushed it hard enough to hear the "click" after I put Don's car up (Dan was still out at the time so I didn't set the deadbolt); the foundation's been settling again, and that's one of the effects....unless the deadbolt's set, it's easy to not really shut the door properly, allowing strong wind to blow it open.
The food and water bowls were fine, which is why it wasn't Boots who woke me up, but rather Zeus, who was concerned about the back door coming open and made sure to wake me up so I could do something about it.
Nothing like a good watch-cat, I always say.
Comments (12)
Watch cat, my eye. He was COLD. :tongue:
I prefer to think of Zeus as having a care for my well-being and that of the other inhabitants of the house, thank you. :not-talking:
OTOH, it's possible she (BION, Zeus is a female...not my fault! Kirstin named her) was most worried about cat-food thieves. :hmmmmm:
That's it, She was probably worried sick that a cat food thief would come in and eat all of her food! :wink-wink:
You think what you like, dear. I'm a confirmed cat-lover myself, yet I do not delude myself that cats ever have anyone's well-being but their own at heart. Dogs, they are not. :big-smile:
In cold weather the door from our family room into the garage doesn't fasten right. Don't know why. We often find it ajar. I've learned to give it a good shot with my rear when coming in. Believe me, that would shut ANY door. Problem is, the virbation knocks the little knicknacks off the shelves on that wall. Hard to achieve perfection, I fear.
And I do hope you thought to ask Zeus if Timmy had fallen into the well.
Give that cat some canned food, all watch cats are valuable!!!! Zeus is a fine cat!!! Self centered indeed!! Humph.
Watch cats are indeed valuable. ;^)
Scary, to think of that door having been wide open and my sleeping on. Eventually it'd have gotten so cold I'd have woken up and noticed, but still...
Good ol' Zeuster-the-rooster.
I'm going to think the best of Zeus and assume she was only concerned with your welfare.
Once we forgot and left our rat cage open all night. Our son, whose room the rats normally live in, was sleeping on his sisters' floor because we were in the process of painting his room. The rat cage was temporarily in the living room. Our son woke up at about 4 am to the tickling of whiskers and one of the rats scurried away. She had come to tell him that something was wrong. Animals are so smart!
Rats especially!
Given the body of evidence I've witnessed, it's certainly true that cats are very concerned about their own welfare. But if you really have a bond, you become a part of them and so are included in their concern. They're beautiful; they really understand some things that dogs just don't get.
@TheClingingVine2 - I need more information - where does Zeus normally sleep? Was it cold in the house? I don't remember the weather Sunday night. In any case - Zeus deserves a really good treat! BTW - I am certainly glad you weren't robbed.....
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